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KARIM-JEAN ARMACHE

Principal Investigator

Karim-Jean Armache joined the Skirball Institute in March 2013. He conducted his graduate work with Patrick Cramer at the Gene Center of the University of Munich (LMU), Germany. His PhD work focused on structural characterization of 12-subunit RNA Polymerase II, the central enzyme responsible for transcription of protein coding genes. He then joined Bob Kingston’s laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston to study how transcription is regulated by its DNA template, chromatin. His work focuses specifically on the molecular understanding of chromatin structure and epigenetics.

PABLO DE IOANNES

Postdoctoral Fellow

I did my Ph.D. thesis in the Aggarwal’s laboratory at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. During graduate research, I worked on the structural and functional characterization of proteins that work at three different levels of the anti-pathogenic signaling pathways in innate and adaptive immunity including RIG-I, IRFs proteins and DNA Ligase IV. My current interest at Dr. Armache’s Lab lies in the understanding the structural mechanisms by how chromatin-binding proteins mediate chromatin compaction, and regulate gene silencing.

VICTORIA GODÍNEZ-LÓPEZ

Graduate Student

I received my MSc at the Autonomous National University of México (UNAM) in biochemistry. At UNAM, I investigated the protein evolution through structural conservation of an ancient class II aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase. In 2021 I joined the Armache Lab to investigate how chromatin remodeling complexes regulate heterochromatin formation.

HANNAH WALDT

Lab Manager

I joined the Karim-Jean Armache Lab in July 2024. I received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Penn State University in 2024. In the Jean-Paul Armache Lab at Penn State, I used structural techniques to study a protein found in Tardigrades, the only animal to survive the vacuum of space. I also studied a chromatin remodeler involved in the regulation of heterochromatin using Cryo-EM. My current work in the Karim-Jean Armache Lab is focused on understanding how chromatin modifiers contribute to gene regulation and disease.

JOE SUDAR

Graduate Student

I joined the Armache Lab in 2023. My previous work in the Sotomayor Lab at Ohio State University utilized structural biology and molecular dynamics simulations to better understand the mechanisms that underlie inner ear mechanotransduction. At NYU I worked in the Bhabha/Ekiert Lab using biochemical and structural techniques to learn how microsporidian parasites carry out infection via their unique harpoon-like organelle named the polar tube. In the Armache Lab, I aim to use structural techniques to understand how epigenetic modifications are maintained during cell replication.

JOHN THOMAS

Graduate Student

My scientific journey started as an undergraduate at Penn State University where I used biochemical approaches to investigate promoter proximal pausing. I joined the Armache Lab in 2021 and since then I investigate proteins that alter gene expression through interacting with chromatin. Outside of the lab I enjoy biking, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and fishing!

WANKI YOO

Postdoctoral Fellow

I received my Ph.D. from Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, where my research focused on the identification, characterization, and application of bacterial enzymes, as well as on elucidating the molecular mechanisms of transcription factors such as SOX2 and SP1 that regulate gene expression. Since joining the Armache laboratory in 2024, my research has focused on defining the structural features and molecular mechanisms of chromatin/nucleosome-binding proteins that govern chromatin compaction and gene regulation. Outside of my research, I have a strong interest in investing.

FELIPE AVELINO

DA COSTA FERREIRA

Graduate Student

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology from the University of Oklahoma, where I conducted structural studies on bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. In the Armache Lab, I study chromatin-modifying enzymes and the crosstalk among histone post- translational modifications that shape the chromatin landscape. This research is driven by a strong interest in uncovering the fundamental mechanisms that regulate chromatin modifications and how their dysregulation reshapes chromatin architecture in disease. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading fiction, watching sports, playing video games, and exploring artisanal beers (not in this particular order).

KANYINSOLA OMOBA

Volunteer

I joined the Armache Lab in September 2025. I received a B.A. in Biochemistry from Middlebury College in 2025. During my gap year before medical school, I am interested in strengthening my knowledge of protein purification and expression, as well as genetic mutations that drive diseases like Leukemia and Alzheimer’s. My current work focuses on the purification of various chromatin complexes involved in gene regulation.